BY JONATHAN SKUZA
ROCHESTER, N.Y.– Every good pitching performance needs run support.
The Rochester Red Wings (12-20) received both behind a solid pitching performance from Cory Abbott and a strong hitting performance from Travis Blankenhorn to secure a 7-3 win over the Worcester Red Sox (17-17), Tuesday evening.
“Just had everything working,” Abbott said. “I was able to command the zone enough and be competitive with it.”
“We were very competitive tonight and executed our approach to their pitcher,” Red Wings manager Matt LeCroy said.
Abbott pitched a solid six innings surrendering one run on three hits and one walk while striking out nine Red Sox. The right-hander through the first four innings set down 12 of the first 13 batters he had faced and had a no-hitter into the fifth inning.
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“I pulled two strike executions on a curveball or slider kind of down in a way and sell them out on it,” Abbott said, “That was the biggest key was just making them believe it’s the fastball all the way through and feeling and executing where it needed to be executed.”
“He kind of kept them off-balance and that allowed swing and misses and soft contact,” LeCroy said. “He did a nice job. Our defense played well tonight as well.”
Abbott got comfortable in the game early thanks to his offense providing run support in the first frame of the ball game. Blankenhorn drove in the game’s first run with an RBI double that scored Carter Kieboom.
“It’s amazing,” Abbott stated about his team’s run support early. “As a pitcher, getting that comfort, especially being in Rochester which is a little bit more pitcher-friendly, I was filling up the zone, trusted my stuff, and let my defense work behind me.”
Blankenhorn finished the night going 2-for-4 with two RBI doubles and a run scored to help with the team effort offensively.
“I stayed in the strike zone better than I have early in the season,” Blankenhorn said. “Getting good pitches to try and do some damage with to bring some runners in.”
“We need him to be the offensive player we know he can be,” LeCroy said. “It’s still early, but it’s time for people to start making adjustments. I think he’s at the point now where hopefully he can warm up as the weather warms up.”
The Red Wings jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning behind Blankenhorn’s RBI double and a Wilson Garcia two-run single after Jeter Downs reached base on an error.
Rochester added continued the offensive onslaught by adding another run to its lead when Matt Adams drove in a run with the bases loaded and two outs. Kieboom almost made it two runs but was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Richie Martin gave the Red Wings a 6-0 lead with a two-RBI base hit with the bases loaded in the third inning.
Rochester’s final run of the evening came in the sixth inning when Blankenhorn hit his second RBI double.
Jorge Alfaro, Ronaldo Hernandez, and Ryan Fitzgerald drove in the runs for Worcester. Hernandez got the Red Sox on the board with a ground-out RBI after Greg Allen led off the fifth inning with a double and stole third base. Alfaro drove in Nick Sogard on a fielder’s choice in the eighth inning. Fitzgerald hit a 390-foot home run to right field in the ninth inning before Rochester sealed up the victory.
With the victory on Tuesday, Rochester secured its first series opener victory of the season. The Red Wings had dropped the previous six series openers to start the season.
“It feels great,” LeCroy said. “I got a good group of men that love to play and work hard for each other and hopefully we can turn this thing around.”
Rochester will look to add another one to the win column as they continue the series against Worcester on Wednesday at 6:05 p.m. as right-hander Wily Peralta (0-2, 5.89) will take the bump for the Red Wings while southpaw Matt Dermody (1-1, 4.70) will pitch for Worcester.
rip Milo